Qantas' chief executive has blamed a recent crime spike at the start of 2023 for the drop in demand on travel to Central Australia.

Despite Northern Territory police reporting the lowest crime rates in four years, Mr Joyce said in a statement that "crime has been a factor" culminating in weakened demand and a higher price tag for flights to and from Central Australia.

The comments come several weeks after NT Minister for Tourism, Nicole Manison, downplayed the effect of crime on tourism in budget estimates.

"I spoke about a variety of things in estimates that can impact tourism. Crime sometimes will be an impact on people's decision on whether or not they come here," she said.

"We are seeing that Australians are really feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living pressures with interest rate rises and the cost of power and water, and those types of issues."

Mr Joyce said that the local tourism authority "needs to do more" in promoting the region.

"The local tourist organisations really need to get behind this and do some really hard yards to get tourists to go back to Alice Springs," he said.

"All tourism organisations … they help advertising, help communicating through their database and show the wonders, the fantastic place Alice Springs is and getting people back to travelling there."

Tourism Central Australia (TCA) chief Danial Rochford said that he "wholeheartedly agrees" with Mr Joyce but added: "he is telling me what we do day in day out; like every tourism organisation."

Mr Rochford said TCA had recently subsidised airfares to Central Australia.

"This week we are promoting sales fares into the region," he said.

"People can be reassured that we and Tourism NT are doing all that we can do the best of ability under the circumstances."

Stop the blame game

Federal member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour, who organised the Qantas roundtable acknowledged that crime "has definitely hit our local tourism industry".

Ms Scrymgour said Mr Joyce's comments were "negative".

"We can all play this pointing the finger, and going around and around and getting angry," she said.

She said her role would be to facilitate both tiers of governments.

"Let's look at what we can all do to put solutions on the table," she said.

The roundtable was an opportunity to air frustration at high airfares and the availability of flights.

She said Qantas had reported a 20-per-cent drop in flight searches for the region.

"Much of this is because we have been all over the national media, often in a negative light."

Rebound package 

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson used the roundtable opportunity to discuss the Alice Springs Town Council's rebound package.

Mr Paterson said the rebound package was about repairing the damage done to the economy and the town through COVID-19 and negative publicity.

"Everyone is feeling the pinch, including the tourism industry," he said.

"And we all need to work together to address this issue. 

"The cost of airfares has been going on for a very long time."

Mr Paterson said the package was is in its infancy.

Ms Scrymgour agreed that it is "a good concept" in theory but said: "it needs to be mapped out and developed before I can take it to the federal government".

"The idea isn't part of the [$250 million] Central Australia Plan," she said.

"It is important that the Alice Springs Town Council are sitting at the table with both levels of government to discuss other important issues affecting the region," he said.